Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 29:
Lining up a series of action to be launched ahead of International Human Rights Day, which falls on December 10, in the backdrop of the people's demand for the complete revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, the Working Committee of the Apunba Lup today said that a public meeting will be held on December 8 and 9 to be followed by a protest rally against the Act on December 10.Incidentally December 10 is the deadline given by the Apunba Lup to the Prime Minister to revoke AFSPA from the State.
Appealing to the people to extend their co-operation to the course of action lined up, the Lup today said that the right to life is the most basic rights granted to the citizens of all Nations.
It is to grant the right to life to all its citizens that laws have been framed by all the Nations, said the Lup in a leaflet and added that without this right, life becomes meaningless.
It is to protect the lives of the citizens that law Courts are set up to determine the nature of punishment to be awarded to any accused persons, said the Lup and added that even hard core criminals are given the rights to trial and to defend themselves in the Court.
The Lup said that it was to protect the rights of the people that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was announced on December 10, 1948.Ever since then December 10 has been observed as the International Human Rights Day, said the Lup.
India, which takes pride in being the biggest democracy in the world, is amongst the countries which had given its nod to the announcement of such a day, said the Lup but added that despite this, the people of Manipur and the North East have had to face the atrocities and excesses of the security personnel under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
The present AFSPA had its roots in the Armed Forces (Special Ordinance) 1942 enacted by the colonial British and it was enforced in Manipur in 1950.The protest raised by the people against this Act under the leadership of Hijam Irabot can be recalled, said the Lup and added that the new avatar of the colonial Act was first enforced in some parts of the State in 1951 and was extgnded to the whole of Manipur in 1980.Since then the people of Manipur have had to face the wrath of the security personnel and many a woman have been raped, recalled the Lup.
The protest against this Act did not start over night, said the leaflet and recalled how the then two MPs from Manipur, Laishram Achou and R Suisa had strongly objected to the imposition of the Act.
The Tangkhul Shanao Long was set up in 1974 after Ngaprum Rose committed suicide after she was raped by army personnel, said the Lup.
The meira paibi movement began after 1980 to check the excesses of the security personnel under AFSPA, recalled the Lup and added that the suffering of the people under this Act has been highlighted at various international Indigenous Peoples' fora.
Various movements have been launched, at different parts of the country to revoke the Act, but still the Centre has been turning a blind eye to the cold facts, said the Lup.
It was only after the custodial killing of Th Manorama and the nude protest, the self immolation by Pebam Chittaranjan, the death of Memita and street protests that Delhi finally woke up to the demands of the people, said the Lup.
The very fact.that the Prime Minister has admitted that a new humane Act will replace AFSPA is a beginning, said the Lup but added that this is not the end, for the ultimate demand of the people is the total revocation of AFSPA.